The Bard and the Keep

Summary: Prosperity in the distant town may have more than one thinks...

Chapter 1

The
metallic walls that surrounded the town, along with the gear-driven doors,
betrayed the wooden and straw housing they contained. It seemed like a small
outpost town; hardly a structure that stood over its owners was more than just
that, over its owner’s head. But it was the inside of these buildings that made
things more curious for the Bard as he walked through. The smoke rising from
each structure was far more than a warming fire would ever produce. He tried to
not think about it, instead moving along his path.

Though
the market, where he had stopped to barter for some provisions, prompted his
morbid curiosity to resurface. The items in the shops were of incredible quality,
some fashioned from the softest, most delicate fabrics known. Yet, as his
fingers traced the elegant cloth, a thought trailed through. One that prompted
the questioning of the shop keeper, who informed the Bard of the lord of the
land, a man who was a known weaver of elements and an enchanter, but had
recently started bringing to the attention of the city some pieces of machinery
that allowed almost incomparable things. The cloth was one small piece of this
new technological boom, as the shopkeeper also pointed out the blacksmith,
making his wears at an almost staggering pace. Also to the tanner, who was now
able to do in a morning that which his father taught him would take days. All
this piqued the Bard’s curiosity, and after receiving another answer, and
purchasing quite a bit of the cloth, he moved to the keep, a small fortress
that stood on the edge of the town, built into the defensive wall that
surrounded the town. All that met the Bard’s eyes as he entered was things that
made the world around the keep seem almost caveman-like. Gears running through
the walls, moving others to do things he did not see, steam moving through
metallic pipes rising from floors and disappearing into walls and ceilings. The
pure machinery around him was staggering, and he knew that it was all wrong.
There should be no way that this level of technology should exist here. He
followed the sounds of the machinery, soon finding the stairs that allowed him
to finally get the answers that he sought.

There
stood the keep’s owner, standing in the middle of a room that was full of
tables, boards on walls, and all scattered with drawings and blueprints. The
Bard stood and listened, the keep’s master speaking in something of a hushed
tone, telling the focus of his attention to hurry with something he had not
heard of. The Bard flushed against a wall as the occupant turned, leaving the
room and ascending the staircase across the chamber from the Bard. Curiosity
again reared its head, and the Bard stepped forward, looking around at the
intricate plans that were strewn along the long tables and vaulted walls of the
room. They were plans for machinery that was foreign to this world; machinery
that even the Bard really did not know how to decipher. The goal of his
curiosity was the pedestal in the middle of the room, standing to the Bard’s
chest, a sphere held aloft from it. The Bard scanned the area once more, and
then looked down at the sphere. Another sphere lay inside it, and the sight
that met his eyes made them widen. A city scape, the buildings small but
noticeable, occupants of the city, almost invisible to the naked eye, but under
the reflective sphere became but a speck. The city that lay before the Bard’s
eyes was a metropolis, lined with streets, towering structures, waterways, and
parks. It was an incredible sight to behold, and it sat in a sphere that the
Bard knew was smaller than his own head. He scanned the walls again, and then
the pieces began to fall in place. He looked down at the sphere, and knew what
must be done.

The
keep’s master returned to the room, a smile across his face. The most recent
projects had attracted the attention of the King’s court, and if he could show
them how all of the marvels he had come to own operated, and could be used by
the people, he would be richly rewarded. All was falling into place for him,
and he needed one final piece of the puzzle. He walked forward, his eyes shut,
almost gloating in his own power. He stopped in the middle of the room, eyes
now open and looking at all that the walls offered him. He looked to his small
servant city, knowing that it all would finally work out.

Except
for the missing sphere.

What
sat in its place was a note. Penned in a steady hand, the print was a simple
line, but the words there made the blood race in his veins. All his plans had
fallen apart in this one instant. None of these machines would work without the
technology and information that the cloistered city offered him, having only
been able to transport the plans and machines from the city. He looked once
more at the paper, crunching it in his hands before throwing it to the floor in
a rage.

The
Bard walked the beaten dirt path, eyes forward. He never looked back to see the
sudden burst of flames that shot through windows of the keep. All he knew was
that the small citizens were liberated, now offered a place of permanent
residence on his mantle, the fluorescent light of the lamps, and the knowledge
that their machines would be theirs. Of course, the small nation offered
rewards to the Bard, who at first refused, but then had to give in.

All
that he knew was that his house would be a little more unique.

Write a Review
Did you enjoy my story? Please let me know what you think by leaving a review! Thanks,
kidrevenger

Usagi Kita:
This story is emotional from beginning to end. You get to watch the characters struggle and grow, maturing in different ways so that they come to be the people they are meant to be. Inea is insanely adorable, and his antics made me laugh more than once, and Kaedon is perfect for him in so many wa...

Nate_L:
This story is amazing. The style, the description, it all drags you in. The characters are mostly the well known characters from King Arthur. There's Merlin, the sword: Excalibur. I recommend reading this through, at least a little, as it's a very satisfying read. I added it to my reading list af...

dd1226:
I love reading about other countries and I think this story about Cambodia after Polpot creates awareness of the tragedy that happened there and the actions of the U.N. to hold elections. The heroine of the story is easy to relate to, a modern, middleaged woman looking for an adventure, wanting t...

Felisa Yoder Osburn:
I really enjoyed the story. Civil War stories are some of my favorites and the intertwining of the past with current times was wonderful. I look forward to reading the next stories.

ernbelle:
When I first started this story I was a little unsettled by all of the information that appears in the prologue, and wasn't sure if I would continue. However, I am very glad I did. The plot was very well thought out and really interesting. There were not any page breaks or markers to acknowledge ...

Hudson:
Your story was fantastic Erin! The Rising Sun was one of the first stories I read on Inkitt, and I have to say I don't regret the three to four days I spent pouring through the story.Probably the biggest strength I see in your writing is your characterisation of Eliana, Oriens, and the rest of th...

Animeviewer:
It is one of the best stories I've ever read. This story will have you riding a roller coaster of emotions and nearly dying to know what happens next.You will get very attached to the characters and in my case I relate well with some of their very traumatic or emotional experiences, Just Juliet f...

Nymeria:
Really can't get enough of this story. It flows well, it captivates the reader from page 1, and throws you into such a well-written, well conceptualized world that you'll believe it's real. Everything in the book is meshed together really well. From character backgrounds to plot twists, you can t...

Lauren Suzmeyan-Raine:
I'm so glad you found a place to post your stories. I was horrified when I saw yours had been taken down, they are definitely the best 'reading' stories I've ever read. And I've made it my business to read every one I can. Well done.Lauren

Lydia Sherrer:
I first read The Speaker almost a decade ago when I first discovered author Sandra Leigh. I loved it then, and I still love it now. It is a simple, easy read, yet deep in meaning and rich in storyline. I do not know what kind of research or prior knowledge Leigh has of First Nation tribes, but sh...

PurpleInkling:
Hippocrite is spelt hypocrite.Also it is an awesome story! A good one after so long. I was hoping someone would write a good fanficiton playing off what Ron said at the station. You are doing a remarkable job. It would have been interesting if Albus had also ended up in Ravenclaw though that mig...

Schaelz:
I was intrigued from the second I started reading, and it kept my interest the whole way through. Chelsea has a way with words that will enchant you until the very end. She is very poetic with the way she mixes genres and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The main character is also very relat...

Barbara Ponder:
This book is aimed at teenagers, however the style and content caught my attention and it is a long time since I was a teenager. Intriguing and enlightening novel I hope there will be a sequel soon.